Major decisions on coal likely within this year

Sharier Khan

Govt working on approval of coal policy, open-pit mining at Barapukuria, resettlement of affected people.

Within this year, the government will take several major and thorny decisions on developing the coal sector, including approval of the coal policy, an open-pit mine in Barapukuria, resettlement of people affected by the existing mine and development of a mine city.
The government is already working on the mine city in Barapukuria by identifying areas to be acquired. This mine city will initially aim at providing livelihood and living facilities to 10,000 families and ultimately give room to one lakh families, says Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, adviser to the prime minister on energy.
Towfiq-e-Elahi pointed out that the government has signed a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) with villagers who are affected by land subsidence around the Barapukuria coalmine area. “Their resettlement will be implemented in phases,” he noted.
“Our bigger concern is to ensure these affected people their livelihood. We aim at giving jobs to the second generation of these affected people,” he added.
A government committee has already recommended quick framing of a human resettlement action plan for the villagers affected by the Barapukuria coalmine in line with the one for the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge project. Such a plan should be chalked out within a few months.
Till this plan of “international standard” is approved for action, the people should be immediately given a standard compensation package and alternative shelter, said a source quoting the committee’s report submitted to the energy ministry late last month.
Deep grievances are brewing among several villages around the mine for the last two years. The mining project was implemented without recognising that the mine would cause land subsidence leading to loss of agricultural land, water supply and cause environmental damage.
For now, the government is addressing the water issue in the area by installing 600 deep tube wells (Tara Tubewells). The subsoil water level in around 15 villages in Barapukuria rapidly dropped as the mine is pumping out huge quantity of water for coal production. Towfiq said the work order for these pumps would be issued this month.
Identifying coal as one of the vital natural resources that needs to be developed for future energy security of the country, Towfiq said in the past the government had undertaken mining project without informing the people its consequences on the environment and agricultural land. The government had not even kept any allocation to address the environmental issues.
“But in future all such projects should be done in a transparent manner by informing and involving the people,” he said. The draft coal policy that the government did not approve in the last four years will soon see the light of day. “We are working on it. We hope to approve it within a few months. The main focus would be to ensure the best usage of coal,” Towfiq said.
He noted the future of power would be dependent on coal as well as nuclear technology. “Seventy-five percent of power in France comes from nuclear power stations and one third of power in the USA also comes from nuclear power stations,” he quipped.
Meanwhile, the eight-member committee headed by a joint secretary of the energy ministry recommended that a mining city be developed as per the Resettlement Action Plan. This city would provide amenities, shelter and livelihood as an alternative to the affected people.
As part of this action plan, the government should appoint a third party organisation–possibly a non-government organisation–to conduct a baseline survey in the affected area to assess the size of the population, their assets, cropland and livestock, schools and other educational institutions etc. If there is a slum in the area, it should also be assessed.
Till the plan is implemented, the villagers living in vulnerable structures should be relocated to the East Camp of the Barapukuria mine. The East Camp is a structure built during the project construction period, said the committee that was formed in January to look into the land subsidence of Barapukuria.
All future mine projects should be implemented after conducting a feasibility study, undertaking a resettlement plan and by acquiring the land necessary for the projects, it said.
The committee pointed out that land outside the mine area, which has subsided and will subside in future, should be acquired by paying premium to the owners. The base line survey should identify the lands that could be acquired by paying the premium.
It recommended jobs for the locals as per their merit in the Barapukuria coalmine. A social awareness committee should be formed with these people to disseminate information about the long-term impact of the mine.
The 2,500-acre underground mine area includes 650 acres of agricultural land on the surface. The mine is directly affecting the lives of about 2,500 people in seven to eight villages. “Rehabilitation of these people should not be very costly for the government,” said a source.
Other members of the committee include director general of the Hydrocarbon Cell of the ministry, Dhaka University geology department Professor Badrul Imam, chiefs of the Bureau of Mineral Development, Barapukuria Coal Mine Company, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company and Geological Survey of Bangladesh.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh

Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=89132
Date: 21 May 2009

JS panel stresses coal extraction to reduce dependence on gas

Staff Correspondent

A parliamentary panel on Monday asked the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources to come up with a report on a ‘suitable’ mining method for coal extraction in Bangladesh. It also asked the government to expedite the process for facilitating use of coal for power generation as the country has been suffering electricity shortage, said the chairman of the committee on estimate, H N Ashequr Rahman, after a meeting of the watchdog body at the Jatiya Sangsad.
The suggestions came at a time when the experts were divided over methods of coal mining as many experts said that the open pit mining would bring environmental disaster and relocation of tens of thousands of people from their homesteads despite high rate of extraction. The other group said the extraction of coal by underground method was minimum and there would be huge subsidence of land if the method was followed.
Protest against proposed open pit method in Phulbari coal mine caused riots in northern Dinajpur district in 2006 killing at least three persons. The Awami League, now in the government, had extended supports to the locals who opposed the open-pit mining and stood against the move to allow the UK-based Asia Energy to extract coal using the method. The then Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance government suspended the move to go for extraction of coal in Phulbari mine with a proven reserve of 576 million tonnes.
Three successive governments have failed so far to formulate a coal policy for the development of the sector over the debate on which method Bangladesh should follow. A draft coal policy is now shelved by the ministry of energy. Ashequr said that the power-hungry country needed more coal now to produce electricity and reduce the pressure on gas, the reserve of which was getting depleted very fast in Bangladesh. The committee suggested extraction of coal from the existing mines to meet the future energy demands.
‘We have asked the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources to go for immediate extraction of coal,’ the chairman told reporters after the meeting. He added that Bangladesh should go for ‘cost-effective’ mining. Bangladesh has estimated 3 billion tonnes of coal reserve in five mines – Barapukuria, Phulbari, Khalaspir, Dhighipara and Jamalganj. Of the existing reserve, 1 billion tonnes coal of Jamalganj are not recoverable with the existing technology.

Source: New Age, Bangladesh

Link : http://www.newagebd.com/2009/may/19/nat.html
Date: 19 May 2009

It cant be done in three years’

Mullah Amzad Hossain, editor, Energy & Power, a Dhaka-based fortnightly magazine explains to Robab Rosan why we wont get much relief from load shedding in the next few years

We have been virtually living under a state of power shortage for almost decades now, especially during summer season. While subsequent governments have promised to deal with the issue and blame each other, the situation seems to deteriorate by the day. What has really happened through these years?
I think people are aware of the present situation in the power sector. I have monitored the flow of electricity from twelve hours from 10:00am to 10:00pm on April 15 and I have seen that electricity is not coming back after one hour, as per the schedule of load shedding. It is taking more time to return but staying on for less time. The situation is gradually getting worse.
I think the demand for electricity in the country in peak hours is no less than 7000 MW and the government is saying that electricity is being produced from three thousand to thirty seven hundred MW. And there is also a fifteen percent system loss as well. If we take into account uninterrupted supply of electricity for privileged people and areas, we see that the share of electricity amongst the common people is minimal.
Corruption has become the most popular victim in the country. For me, inefficiency is more dangerous than corruption.
We saw infrastructural development during the rule of HM Ershad, however, many irregularities and corruption were reported during that time. Later the BNP government continued the projects and took only a single project of establishing an electricity production centre in Siddirganj.
Next, the Awami League government finalised the Independent Power Producer policy (IPP), drafted by the previous BNP government.
The AL government successfully increased production of electricity from seventeen hundred to eighteen hundred MW to nearly four thousand MG according to the policy. We got 1300 hundred MW of electricity from the IPP.
Unfortunately, the next BNP government did not continue the projects taken by their predecessor. The government said that IPP was a curse for the nation and the then finance minister Saifur Rahman said they would not take even suppliers’ credit in the power sector. They later realised that they should start the IPP facility and suppliers’ credit again. But this time they wasted two years.
The BNP government started a centre of one hundred MW capacity at Tongi during their last tenure. They also began the process for a 240 MW production centre in Siddirganj and a centre in Sylhet, that started production during the last caretaker government.
Right now, we have five and a half thousand MW installed capacity. But many of the machineries are old and some of them remain closed for repair. On the other hand, the centres do not get uninterrupted gas supply. For these reasons, the production centres cannot produce according to their capacity.
The governments blame each other. I say that there was virtually no development not only in the power sector but also in the energy sector in the last seven years.
During the tenure of the previous government we saw violent crises regarding the shortage of power in Kansat and Demra. And yet, we now hear that not a single megawatt of power was increased in the last five years. Is this true and how is it possible?
The crisis of electricity will never be solved because in our country, gas is the main source of producing electricity. Eighty seven percent of electricity in our country is being produced by gas. We do not have enough reserve of gas. The government has yet to decide on whether to extract coal. They are delaying more and more. If we extracted coal, it could be used in generating electricity. There is no plan, I think, to generate electricity by purchased oil.
The government has planned to produce five thousand MW of electricity by five years. I agree with the government that it might be possible in five years but not in three years. The government has to involve local and foreign companies to explore gas immediately and urgently and they should also extract coal. Otherwise it might not be possible.
The finance minister has said that we cannot do anything about load shedding in the next three years. Is there really no way out?
Yes, the finance minister has said it correctly - we cannot do anything about load shedding in the next three years because it is a lengthy process. I have said earlier that the government can increase production in five years if they take effective initiatives right now. If they do not take initiatives they will not be able to produce even in five years.
The government can provide social tariffs for at least sixty percent of people, who are in the marginal line of poverty. They can give twenty percent subsidy to the lower middle class people. But those who are capable of paying must pay the original price. The government can also establish a special grid for uninterrupted electricity at the higher price.
In a recent report, we have heard that the government is thinking of purchasing electricity from India. What are your views on that?
I think, this region (SAARC) is the only region where we have no real cooperation in the energy sector. Due to lack of faith among the two countries, Bangladesh and India, and a lack of far sight in our politicians, we could not establish a multinational cooperation in this region. We can import electricity from India in the short run or mid run. We can also import electricity from Nepal but the decision should be taken immediately.
We currently, apparently have the capacity to produce 600MW of extra power and yet we don’t have the gas to do it. Meanwhile, our gas resources lay as it was because we have not been able to resolve our issues regarding the extraction of gas. How can we increase our gas supply?
If the question of gas supply comes we will see many irregularities in this sector. We are unfortunate because our governments do not solve the problem. They allow the problem to grow into a crisis and then they go for the remedy. But by this time we waste a lot of time and money. We are gradually losing our reserve but not exploring new gas fields. We are neither allowing foreign companies nor the local ones to work in this sector.
We have to extract coal for generating electricity because about fifty percent of electricity is produced across the world from coal. Denmark, which has a contribution of 42 percent in renewable energy, produces 48 percent of its electricity from coal. Our neighbouring country India produces about sixty percent of its electricity from coal and China produces around seventy percent of its electricity from the same resource. The government must ensure better rehabilitation of people and minimise environmental hazard for extraction of coal.
Using the policy of Production Sharing Contract (PCS), the government should immediately take initiatives to explore gas in the Bay of Bengal, otherwise we will not be able to increase our production.
There is inefficiency in the government sector. At the other end we have increasing demand, sometimes artificially created by MP’s and their electoral promises. How do we get out of all this?
Forty percent of total budget in the power sector should be kept for generation, forty percent for transmission and the rest twenty percent for distribution. This was not done properly.
To earn cheap popularity, the government says that they will set up production houses at their own cost. We virtually need nearly five million USD to set up a 450 MW power plant. This is not possible for the Bangladesh government to do single-handedly. Our share market is also not booming that the government will collect money from the market.
If the question about the extension of electricity in rural areas comes I will ask the government whether they want to keep our rural people in darkness. The rural people have the right to get electricity. The government knows that ten percent demand will increase every year.
To extend electricity is not a fault. It is a fault not to produce electricity. People can demand electricity from their representatives. The government is developing roads but not giving electricity. You cannot expect development without electricity.
What are your views on alternate sources of power for households and how can we effectively increase awareness among people to stop wasting power?
The government is going to take an appreciating initiative to replace all the incandescent bulbs with Compact Florescent Bulbs (CFBs) by two years. The World Bank will provide the bulbs free and the German organisation GTZ will provide technical support. The government has planned to replace one and half crore bulbs by February next and one crore more by the end of the year. It will save eighty percent of bills and save eight hundred MW electricity.
The government should also ensure that the generators, refrigerators and ACs and other appliances are energy efficient. The government can also encourage the factories, particularly the steel mills, to run at night. On the other hand, the government can close markets by five o’clock five days in a week and can keep them open till 11:00 at night on the remaining two days. Shoppers will get habituated to this system in time.

Source : New Age (X tra) , Bangladesh
Link: http://www.newagebd.com/2009/apr/24/apr24/xtra_inner6.html
Date : 24- 30 April, 2009

Civil Society Must Discuss about Optimum Utilization of Coal

Nandita Mongia

Development planner Nandita Mongia says job facilities must be expanded in rural areas by ensuring energy access for all. “Attaining Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) would not be possible if steps are not taken to ensure job facilities or create income generation scope for rural people, which in turn will need some form of energy,” she said.

“I think universal energy access is still a big challenge for Bangladesh. As a result of limited supply, it has not been possible to create job opportunities permanently in rural areas,” said the Head of Energy for Poverty Reduction Project of UNDP regional center in Bangkok.

Nandita Mongia recently visited Bangladesh to undertake a joint exercise with the Ministry of Planning on needs assessment for energy to meet the MDG targets. She shared her experiences with Energy & Power Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain. Following are the excerpts.

EP: You are working for UNDP’s energy & poverty reduction program. How do you relate between energy and poverty reduction with Asia and Bangladesh perspective?

Nandita: Securing energy supply is a critical concern currently. However, it is not always remembered that secured energy supply doesn’t necessarily mean increased energy access. There are two aspects... first, given the energy supply possibilities, how does it match with the demand and second relates to proper distribution of energy that is already at hand.

So for many of the developing countries, especially for Bangladesh and Nepal... the problem that I have seen is a question of distribution. Often the power sector policies or energy policies are mainly targeted for large-scale supply options and demands by organized endues sectors. And distribution policies do not take energy supply to the remote areas and the rural areas easily. These linkages have additional costs. The additional costs involve transmission and distribution expenses, over and above the production cost This doesn’t come through easily in planned policies.

So, on the whole, in an analysis of energy-poverty and MDG attainment, this is an issue I have highlighted most often. For Bangladesh, we undertook a study of energy and poverty linkages given Bangladesh’s current conditions. The challenges that we mentioned in the end of this report are about distribution, policy reforms which are linked to regulatory distribution of energy-power and support decentralized energy access, institutional and cross sectoral coordination mechanisms in place which could contribute to poverty reduction. Decentralized rural energy access help attainment of MDG targets easily.

We are recommending repeatedly that while we focus on big picture energy security of a country, we have to also consciously distribute energy in a more equitable way.

EP: You know that in Bangladesh the generation of electricity is at a very low level due to the indecision of policymakers as well as now it is a big challenge for supplying primary energy for power generation. What is your suggestion how Bangladesh can manage these things?

Nandita: Supply shortage often is not as a stand alone issue. It is closely linked with how demand is being managed or demand is being projected. One thing Bangladesh can do on the demand side, which will reduce the demand-supply gap is to undertake demand side management. While growth requires energy, it doesn’t require per unit of energy consumption to be so high for industry or transport. More over there is energy transmission, and distribution losses, which need to be cut down. It is not in a country’s best interest to have limited primary energy resources like coal oil & gas using which we produce electricity but finally distribute it inefficiently.

In many of the big conferences, I look to the ceiling to see whether they are using energy efficient bulbs and most often than not, they are not using CFLs or the air conditioning is too cold & the doors are repeatedly opened to make the room temperature comfortable. This is a waste. It’s high time that part of energy supply gap is addressed through the demand side management. That of course will at least particularly solve the problem.

So, coming to your original question... supply side management. Yes, Bangladesh is facing particularly a tough situation on the energy supply side. And that’s why we all are discussing about coal as an alternative.

Coal resources are really abundant for Bangladesh but the coal development is in a nascent stage in Bangladesh. Of course, it has to be encouraged to supplement domestic primary energy resource base. But, two issues are attached to that utilization of more coal for supply side management. One, coal mining has local and global socio economic & environmental impacts. Globally, it is not a preferred fuel in the world of climate change especially due to its environmental impacts. Though Bangladesh does not have a particular commitment to bring down its green house emission under any international commitment, it needs to be mentioned that currently its emissions are low. To meet the growing demand for energy the country has to go for coal, but we should try to move towards clean coal. And if clean coal production requires more cost upfront there are mechanisms to finance that. In the context of using clean coal, the opportunities of the clean development mechanism and the MDG carbon facilities need to be explored. A country can use some of the funding sources for financing clean coal technology utilization as well as meeting expenses on socio economic rehabilitation.

EP: You are also saying Bangladesh needs to develop coal sector but civil society is opposing it although some of them do not have clear idea about it.

Nandita: To resolve it, among other things the civil society has to play a role of informed mediator .You have to increase awareness among the people through advocacy programs on the real situation on the ground, objective alternatives and costs there of. The civil society must get informed about the real situation so that they can appreciate the pros and cons of these steps. As a greater good if indeed a policy action is be striving for it. If uninformed and low awareness when the power supply is hampered due shortage of energy, the same civil society will draw attention towards government’s failure.

There is no scope to think that coal mine development will entirely be a negative one. The civil society’s opinions about the anticipated problems need to be heard for the development of coal mines and the government should fully engage in analyzing civil society’s opinions whether their reservation are based on solid ground and informed judgments. If yes, they absolutely need to be addressed before proceeding.

Typically the issues are about resettlement. Is there adequate land for it? Is there any scope for income generation? You have to see whether people are ready to leave their old villages. How are they being compensated? Moreover, you have to see whether their life standard is improving or not.

In many countries, promises are being made to the people but not much is being done for them as a final follow up. I have witnessed many such incidents in south Asian countries and in such cases, the government is not being able to monitor it. NGOs can come forward to properly monitor it and NGOs must be impartial in undertaking such jobs.

It must be kept in mind, the people who are being evicted have limited or no strength to protest. So, the main responsibility of the civil society would be to aware the government whether the evicted people are given the promised facilities as mentioned during the project’s clearance phase. In China, civil society has limited role but they have been active in India and the Philippines. The civil society can do the same here in Bangladesh.

EP: It has been mentioned in the strategic paper that equal opportunities must be ensured for people of all regions to achieve MDGs but it is not happening. Employment opportunities are not being created in the country’s northwestern region due to non-availability of energy. Some experts say coal mine development can be a solution to this problem. But controversy has created over it. You are working on coal mine, economy and community development. What are your suggestions?

Nandita: I am coming to the point in a different way. There is huge scope to generate employment through developing coal mining as an industry. However, for the local people to find employment, they must be trained up. But would they get such training? What are the immediate employment scopes for them? Would the people who have lost their land for mining get priority in social and economic activities? NGOs and civil society must work with these important issues. These issues and their implementations must be discussed besides discussing whether the coal mines will be developed or not.

Such facilities were given to people in central mining areas of India. It is my personal experience that resolving energy crisis is a must for development of energy-starved region. It is the prime condition to create employment opportunities for improving the standard of life of the poor.

EP: Your were talking about decentralized energy supply system for Bangladesh. Would you explain it?

Nandita: Let me try using an example. You said that northern region is agriculture-based. Agricultural waste can be used for electricity generation and its technology is not costly and certainly it could be a good business opportunity for private sector. Think about rice husk. With this, it is possible to produce electricity through co-generation in many locations. It can be helpful to supply electricity to a small area. Besides biomass, there is scope to generate power by using bio-gas. Bangladesh can do it easily through encouraging the private sector enterprises, SMEs etc. Although it would be an alternative to grid-power, it could play a vital role in providing energy in smaller communities and rural areas, creating employment opportunities

EP: Solar home system has witnessed a massive expansion in Bangladesh as decentralized energy but people are getting it at a high cost.

Nandita: You know, solar home system is rather costly as an upfront cost when not subsidized. It lights some bulbs, runs televisions, charges batteries. But, it will not directly contribute to motive power. On the other hand, cogeneration-based power generation has two benefits: its low-cost and economic return is very quick. It makes income-generation easier, creates payback scopes of people.

Further I think, Bangladesh should go for micro hydro, mino hydro and piko hydro projects, in feasible terrains.

EP: Do you think that the government should enact a law for implementation of energy saving appliances?

Nandita: Absolutely. This will support demand side management I was referring to earlier. You can do these voluntarily or as mandatory measures in selected sectors. If former, the expected results will be slower to achieve and for this reason, I think a law is needed to make the mandatory use of some obvious gadgets: energy saving bulbs and other equipment, especially white goods. Our study shows that energy demand can be reduced by 25 percent though energy saving measures. It will be successful when the government takes steps about establishing minimum standard, labeling, regulatory activities and compliance in place. For this the government does not need to invest large funds. Once the regulatory environment is in place the business sectors will invest in making CFL and tools for efficient use of energy. What you need is proper regulatory system. Right now there is no incentive or motivation to get out of producing and consuming products that are inefficient but cheap in the short-run, but longer term they cost more. But it does not mean that Bangladesh will have to be efficient like Europe in one stroke. You have to start because you have no time to waste. You have to take the country to a level ultimately comparable to global standards.

You have to ensure quality of energy efficient equipment because people will lose their interest if they are given sub-standard equipment. For example, people in Vietnam a few years back lost their interest in using such equipment when sub-standard Chinese equipment were supplied to them. In India and several other countries in South Asia, there is Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), which ensures the standards of such products and manufacturers are given necessary training to identify, and achieve them through energy audits.

EP: Experts across the world say that energy availability must be ensured to achieve MDGs. You are working on it directly but nothing is being done in Bangladesh on this issue. What type of cooperation can Bangladesh get from other Asian countries?

Nandita: We should keep it in mind that it would not be possible to achieve MDGs if energy supply is not ensured. A driving force is needed for income generation. Cooperation from Asian countries can be both at large and small scale. At the larger political level cross-border energy trade is being discussed within SAARC & ASEAN countries. I will not get into the larger political discussion except mention that regional cooperation on energy can only enhance our collective security. At a smaller scale there can be project level collaborations and cooperation on lessons learnt and best practices that have enhanced energy access for communities and decentralized groups of consumers. We recently completed review of energy access projects helping in poverty reduction. Some 28 projects were reviewed in different countries under these issues. And from these, some12 projects are reflected in a compendium of bets practice across Asia & Pacific countries. It serves well as a reference document.

Every government needs an advocacy tool on what should be done to highlight a good work or successful handling of challenging issues. Of the mentioned projects, three are in Bangladesh but how many entrepreneurs know about it? If you have such a tool, you can inform the people about it. NGOs can also play an effective role.

What is important is that entrepreneurs should be developed from lower level. Results of a work must reach at the national level from lower level. What I mentioned earlier, the government or the company must talk to the NGOs that are working in mining areas of the northern region. The NGOs must be briefed about the measures the government or the company is going to take for rehabilitation of the people and protection of environment of the mining area. NGOs can give their suggestions about it. If acceptable, steps must be taken to motivate the community with he help of the NGOs.

EP: Please tell us something about your visit to Bangladesh?

Nandina: I have come here to carry out a need-assessment on MDGs along with the Planning Commission. It is one type of review. Our main work is to see where we are and what we have to do in achieving the targets. What type of training and how much money are needed, what types of resources we have and what things we need beyond these. How the private sector will participate, what will be the role of community and how much assistance and loans will be required. I am hopeful of getting a clear picture by July-August next about what we have achieved and what we have to do.

EP: What can we do to ensure supply of energy?

Nandita: Government must construct infrastructure for energy supply. For example, if coal mine is needed to develop for extraction of coal, government must decide it. If government does not have capacity to invest fully, local and foreign private companies can be partners. Government can involve civil society in deciding what type of contact is being done, what would be the rate of royalty and what the country would get. But the civil society must be responsible. And if it cannot be done efficiently and properly, resources will go out of the country, people will not be benefited.

The government has sought support from UNDP for it and UNDP has given its support. The government can seek expertise from outside if such experts are not available in the country. Government must formulate the necessary law and rules and then the private sector will come forward. On the other hand, different government agencies like LGED can work on renewable energy. NGOs can be involved in it. You have to work collectively to use all energy resources to ensure energy security. If necessary, steps to be taken for sub-regional cooperation.

EP: You are saying about sub-regional cooperation. How can it be initiated?

Nandita: It is actually cross-border energy trade. Thailand and Cambodia are trading energy. Steps must be taken to successfully explore whether Bangladesh can import energy from neighbors.

EP: In comparison to many other countries it is said that Bangladesh is in better position on resources and demand. It has become a big challenge for Bangladesh to take a decision about its use. How can we face it?

Nandita: I want see it from a different direction. The responsibility of experts and civil society is to identify issues and they can also say which project the government can do and how. Which one needs local private sector’s assistance and which one needs foreign investment.

EP: Energy sector needs US$20 billion investment in the next 12 years that is not possible for government alone to mobilize. But some people are opposing foreign investment.

Nandita: It is not possible for any developing country to go alone in this effort. Besides physical investment, availability of skill set is very important. Efficient and highly skilled manpower is available in the region and investment too is also there but the government must be efficient to make investor friendly atmosphere and yet not strike deals contrary to long-term national interests. Along with investment comes the question of efficient revenue management from the investment streams.

EP: You mentioned about informed civil society. How can we take it ahead?

Nandita: The government cannot go alone for. Academia, journalists, intellectuals and experts have to share with open mind, disseminate debate and accept the ground level reality. It is possible to build informed civil society through outreach and advocacy. Share information with all and reach consensus through dialogue.

EP: Developing manpower for future. What can be done to educate children about energy conservation and efficient use at school level? Is there any initiative in other countries?

Nandita: It can be explained in different ways. Some subjects can be incorporated in school level curriculum and many countries are doing it. Radio-TV program can be developed. A quiz contest was organized to educate children of Pacific Island about environment. Such programs can be taken up in Bangladesh. Media can take an initiative with the help of local authorities, schools, donor agencies and other interested parties. Certainly, it will yield good results.

Energy & Power
16/06/08
Link: http://www.ep-bd.com/